FROM THE TRENCHES BY: Dave Cummings--Porn Star/Producer/Director

I’m angry! Government is meddling way too much into the lives of American citizens. And, in my opinion, it’s not merely about protecting us from terrorists/disasters/criminals/etc, but rather it seems to also be about forcing certain of the government’s subjective, unrealistic, and political views upon us, the governed! Our time-tested Constitutional freedoms are being constantly attacked, particularly in the last 4-5 years, and it’s happening at all levels of government, not just the national arena. Legislators seemingly hoping to endear themselves to subjectively -demanding constituents and potential voters are introducing many laws that cater to religious hypocrites and political financial contributors, and in so doing threaten some of our American freedoms. Numerous cities are trying to write laws that stamp out Constitutionally protected free speech and access to adult entertainment in favor of appeasing local loud-mouth groups, right-wing religious hypocrites, and entities that are way out of step with reality and what American citizens really want---many of these local ordnances and laws end up being stricken down due to Constitutional flaws, but the onslaught of new legislative proposals continues unabated.

What do the citizens REALLY want, or don’t want? In my opinion, they want government to stop interfering in their private lives --- they don’t want taxpayer money going towards pork barrel projects or the shutting down of adult entertainment venues. They don’t want government lawmakers using “children” as a catch-all term to justify intrusive laws that have nothing to do with children (indeed, we ALL want to always protect children, but using the term “children” as a FALSE and MISLEADING shield is insulting to citizens and hurts legitimate laws and Constitutional actions intended to REALLY protect children); they don’t want governments pushing religious mandates or views upon non-practicing citizens, or certain religions/beliefs upon others who practice different religions; they don’t want politics diseasing the American education system, and they certainly don’t want governments at any level telling them what consenting adults in the privacy of their own homes can or cannot read, watch, feel, enjoy, or THINK! I’m appalled that “big brother” would possibly like to legislate against letting consenting adults watch other consenting adults in an adult video, or in a gentlemen’s club, or in the privacy of one’s abode. What’s possibly down the road? Could it perhaps be religious “thought” police, mandatory government cameras in bedrooms, homes, etc of adults, arrest of folks like me for stating my opinion in personal columns like this one, jailing of citizens who don’t believe in the same God as the government’s, or arrests of parents and grandparents for spending money on clothes for their family’s children instead of contributing to government-approved candidates in a political campaign, etc? Bottom line, in my opinion, is that Americans want the dividing line between church and state to become MUCH more pronounced, and they want elected officials to totally cease injecting their own religious and subjective values and beliefs into politically intrusive governmental obstruction of our beloved American Constitution. We are at war in Iraq, and against global terrorism, but I sense that perhaps our Founding Fathers are in “their” heaven looking down at American and worrying that some folks in government are subjectively at war with Americanism and Constitutionality!

To cite an example of my present anger, just look at what Department of Justice (DOJ) is doing with the recent publishing of their revised 2257 regulations. Under the guise of protecting American citizens under the age of 18 from becoming adult films stars (the financial and marketplace aspects already assures that no sub-18 performers are booked), 2257 does little if anything to advance this stated goal of the DOJ regulations but rather is the same old false and misleading tactic of using of the term “children” in a quest to garner legitimacy for government’s invasion of citizen privacy; among many other inappropriate and seemingly unconstitutional things, these intrusive regulations requires the proliferation of Model Forms/ID’s (yes, including State Driver’s licenses and all the privacy and personal info on them) to many sub-producer levels and Internet levels where identity theft and the stalking (or worse) of adult actresses becomes an invasive danger to American citizens/actresses. Until the June 23, 2005 effective date of DOJ’s revised regulations, only the entity which initially produced the free speech adult entertainment project had to keep such records, and make them available for government unannounced inspections. It almost seems like DOJ is hoping to jail non-criminal folks on felony charges for clerical oversights not only at the primary production level but also at the many levels in the DOJ mandated maze of massive record keeping and shipping to people not needing the records as a way of “protecting children”; and, though not the law-making entity reserved Constitutionally to Congress, the non-legislative DOJ has made the regulations enforceable by requiring that producers prove the actress was over 18, instead of the prosecutors having to prove the girl was under 18 ---- what happened to the “American Way” of people being innocent until proven guilty? What happened to Constitutionality? Why might an administrative or filing oversight be considered a felony punishable by jail? Could this new regulation be a way of re-paying the demanding religious right for their political and financial support in past elections, and “prepping” them for supporting future elections? Are American elections becoming tainted by the radical religious right and its influences upon elected officials? Is our Constitutional freedom and protections ebbing? Dang!!!!! I’m also angry as a taxpayer. I’m upset that DOJ spent taxpayer and voter money, and used government manpower and logistical assets paid for by American taxpayers to write such flawed and probably unconstitutional regulations. I’m upset that citizens and organizations are now having to expend considerable funds and time to seek relief via the Courts to defend America against this 2257 abomination that DOJ has published; and, I’m likewise angry that DOJ is spending our taxpayer monies to defend their affront against American taxpaying citizens, voters, and consenting adults. I am particularly sad that the money being wasted on 2257 isn’t instead being spent by DOJ on efforts to better protect American citizens against terrorism, and against illegal drugs that get into the hands of children, gangs that prey on and/or victimize children, and fraud and abuse against all citizens. I call upon Department of Justice to wake up, and to put their priorities and assets where the Constitution and the vast majority of American voters/taxpayers/citizens seem to want them to be ---- it’s not on 2257!!!!!

I usually try to keep below the radar on controversial matters, but the present lessening of the line between church and state has got me reeling; and, the government’s folly in the revised 2257 regulations is an embarrassment to them, to our great Constitution, and to everyday and normal Americans. The personal opinions I’ve expressed above are strictly my own, and I should probably have stayed below the radar, but I strongly feel that the matters I’ve addressed need to be voiced before the chilling effect upon the Constitution of the United States becomes burdensome or debilitating. I sense that millions who are presently keeping below the radar agree with my concerns!